After a somewhat questionable performance against Alexander Gustafsson last September, Jon Jones erased any and all doubts that he is the greatest light heavyweight of all time with a thorough domination of Glover Teixeira at UFC 172 this past Saturday…
After a somewhat questionable performance against Alexander Gustafsson last September, Jon Jones erased any and all doubts that he is the greatest light heavyweight of all time with a thorough domination of Glover Teixeira at UFC 172 this past Saturday night in Baltimore, Maryland.
With a dynamic arsenal of attacks, highlighted by his patented elbow strikes, Jones systematically dismantled Teixeira through five rounds.
It was vintage Jon Jones at his best, and the MMA world is foaming at the mouth in anticipation for a colossal rematch between the champ and the Swede.
UFC President Dana White has already pretty much guaranteed that Gustafsson will be next in Jones’ crosshairs if all goes according to plan.
But what about the rest of the fighters who competed at UFC 172? Let’s take a look at what should be next for them on their path towards a UFC championship.
It’s hard to picture the welterweight division without Georges St-Pierre at the top of the throne, but we have to get used to it. A new king will be crowned on Saturday night.
At UFC 171 in Dallas, heavy-handed warriors Johny Hendricks and Robbie…
It’s hard to picture the welterweight division without Georges St-Pierre at the top of the throne, but we have to get used to it. A new king will be crowned on Saturday night.
At UFC 171 in Dallas, heavy-handed warriors Johny Hendricks and Robbie Lawler will clash in the middle of the Octagon like two titans fighting for their lives. Both men are hungry for gold, but only one will walk out of the American Airlines Center with the UFC Welterweight Championship around his waist.
Also on the card, welterweight dynamos Carlos Condit and TyronWoodley will compete in the co-main event in hopes of earning the first crack at the new champ.
Plus, The Ultimate Fighter 1 winner Diego Sanchez returns to action against undefeated Myles Jury, Jake Shields battles Hector Lombard, and rising star Nikita “Al Capone” Krylov squares off with Ovince St. Preux.
RedHotVegas.com’sRoni Taylor is back once again to help break down this card. Let’s see who comes out on top in the prediction faceoff!
Johny Hendricks vs. Robbie Lawler
Mitchell Ciccarelli: With Georges St-Pierre’s “retirement,” the welterweight division has been kicked wide open, and a new era will be ushered in on Saturday night.
Hendricks is already considered by many as the “uncrowned” champ, after seemingly getting the better of St-Pierre through five rounds last November. Unfortunately for “Bigg Rigg,” the judges weren’t paying attention that night.
The Team Takedown leader is hungrier than ever to right that wrong and walk out of his home state of Texas with UFC gold in hand.
But first, he has to get past Lawler.
Since returning to the UFC last year, “Ruthless” has gone on an absolute tear and resurrected his career in ways that nobody thought he would. Seriously, if you would have told me last year that he would fight for a UFC title someday, I would have thought you were crazy.
As much as I have enjoyed his comeback story, I believe Hendricks’ wrestling pedigree and vicious knockout power will prevail. What’s your pick here, Roni?
Roni Taylor: I really hate fights like this because I am torn between my heart and my head.
My heart really doesn’t like Hendricks, mostly because of how he acted after the GSP fight, so I want to root for Lawler to knock his block off.
My head, on the other hand, knows good and well that BiggRigg‘s wrestling prowess and one-punch KO power are going to be too much for Lawler come Saturday.
I would be shocked if this fight made it out of the first round. I am going to give this fight to Hendricks by way of yet another first-round TKO.
Expect to have a little dejavu from both the Jon Fitch and Martin Kampmann fights, as Johny launches another one of his monster overhand lefts to seal the deal.
Ciccarelli’s pick: Hendricks by third-round (T)KO
Taylor’s pick: Hendricks by first-round (T)KO
Carlos Condit vs. Tyrone Woodley
MC: Whoever takes home the gold in the main event is going to have his work cut out for them because he will have either Condit or Woodley in the crosshairs next.
I have said this for a long time, but I truly believe that nobody blends pure technique with raw violence at 170 pounds better than Condit.
He is “The Natural Born Killer” for a reason, but the one flaw in his game has always been his ability to defend takedowns against explosive, collegiate-level wrestlers.
A former NCAA Division I wrestler, Woodley is as explosive as they come. However, I don’t see “T-Wood” grinding this one out.
Condit has been drilling takedown defense like nobody’s business, and Woodley seems to be more of a striker than a wrestler these days.
I think the former interim champ will bait Woodley into a firefight and eventually catch him flush for a stoppage.
What about you?
RT: As impressive as Woodley has looked with his KO wins over Josh Koscheck and Jay Hieron, I just don’t feel he is on the same level as The Natural Born Killer.
Condit has the best combination of composure and aggression in the game today. His ability to methodically pick fighters apart, like he did to Nick Diaz, will prove to be the deciding factor in this fight.
While Woodley has the edge in brute strength, Condit is the more cerebral fighter, and at the upper echelon of the welterweight division, that has proven to be a key component of success.
Carlos takes this one by way of TKO due to submission late in the third round after he frustrates Woodley with his outside striking and then catches Tyrone with a guillotine as he dives in for a lazy takedown.
Ciccarelli’s pick: Condit by second-round (T)KO
Taylor’s pick: Condit by third-round submission
Diego Sanchez vs. Myles Jury
MC: Nearly 10 years have passed since Sanchez dominated Kenny Florian to become the first TUF winner in the middleweight division. The fact that “The Dream” is still competing at a high level, when all of his other TUF 1 brothers have fallen out, is pretty remarkable if you ask me.
Sanchez is coming off a decision loss to Gilbert Melendez that will forever be remembered as one of the craziest MMA wars of all time.
He’s going up against an undefeated star on the rise in “Fury” Jury and needs to deliver a win in order to stay relevant.
Jury is impressive, but I don’t think we have seen him tested against a fighter of Sanchez’ caliber yet.
I’ll take Sanchez by a “dirty” unanimous-decision win. You see what I did there? Take your pick, Roni.
RT: It seems someone has been spending too much time on UrbanDictionary.com. I am a raving fan of Diego Sanchez because he is one of the few fighters out there that refuses to have a boring fight.
I’d like to change his nickname to “The Mexican Zombie” because just like Chan Sung Jung, Diego keeps coming forward no matter what his opponent does to him.
Yes, Jury has a perfect record, but I agree with you in such that Jury has never fought anyone as aggressive and durable as Sanchez.
This will be a rude awakening for Myles as he loses this one by decision. Diego will overwhelm him all three rounds for a 30-27 final tally.
Ciccarelli’s pick: Sanchez by unanimous decision
Taylor’s pick: Sanchez by unanimous decision
Jake Shields vs. Hector Lombard
MC: UFC 171 might as well be renamed “night of welterweights,” as we have another top contender battle here at 170 pounds.
A former Strikeforce champion, Shields isn’t the most exciting kitten in the litter, but he knows how to catch the mouse. In his last two bouts, he ground out wins over top contenders Woodley and Demian Maia.
Lombard just dropped down to welterweight this past October and absolutely destroyed former title contender Nate Marquardt in the process.
A similar win over Shields could catapult the former Bellator champ into a UFC title fight.
Shields is a grinder. He takes guys down and keeps them there. It’s not pretty, but unfortunately, very few fighters in this world can prevent him from doing it.
Maybe I’m crazy, but I think Lombard is one of those few.
I like Lombard by another explosive TKO victory that will make the UFC brass seriously consider him for the next title shot. Am I out of my mind or do you agree?
RT: Yes, you are a little crazy, but it’s not because you’re picking Lombard to win this one. I do not like Shields’ M.O. for winning fights.
It’s lay and pray, and honestly I don’t think he is going to even get the chance to pretend to be a Snuggie on top of Lombard.
Hector backs his powerful striking with his elite-level judo, and I think that spells disaster for Shields. As much as it pains me to do so, I am going to agree with you again on this one.
I see Hector smashing Shields until he sees stars before the first five minutes have elapsed.
Ciccarelli’s pick: Lombard by first-round (T)KO
Taylor’s pick: Lombard by first-round (T)KO
Nikita Krylov vs. Ovince St. Preux
MC: I’ll be honest with you; I have no clue why this fight is on the main card of a pay-per-view.
I’m not overly impressed with either one of these guys and would have preferred the Raquel Pennington vs. Jessica Andrade fight in this spot instead.
I know Krylov and St. Preux are both coming off TKO wins, but I don’t think that warrants a PPV main card slot when you consider how awful they both looked before that. I’m not dogging on them, though.
St. Preux is still a diamond in the rough, and “Al Capone” looks like he has some serious potential as well. This could turn out to be a really good fight, so maybe I should just stop complaining.
I’m going to take OSP as the lone submission winner on the PPV.
RT: Looks like I am going to have to burst your bubble on this one, my friend. While I agree this fight will end in a submission, you got the wrong person getting their hand raised.
Krylov is not only a Master of Sport in Kyokushin karate, but every single one of his 16 wins have been in the first round, with 10 of those wins coming by way of submission!
I am actually pretty excited to watch this fight, as I think Krylov is going to chalk up another first-round victory by way of submission, and I’ll go ahead and call it now: arm triangle.
Ciccarelli’s pick: St. Preux by first-round submission (rear-naked choke)
Taylor’s pick: Krylov by first-round submission (arm triangle)
Mitch Ciccarelli is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report and co-host of Alchemist Radio. He is also a United States Airman. Follow him on Twitter @MitchCiccarelli.
Australian bombshell Allira Cohrs doesn’t sit around and wait for opportunity to come knocking.
Instead, she sets her stance, clinches her fists and knocks opportunity to the ground with a relentless charge of ambition.
Her goals aren’t dre…
Australian bombshell Allira Cohrs doesn’t sit around and wait for opportunity to come knocking.
Instead, she sets her stance, clinches her fists and knocks opportunity to the ground with a relentless charge of ambition.
Her goals aren’t dreams; they are reality.
Born in Sydney, Australia, Cohrs has been hustling and bustling in the modeling industry since 2005.
Ranked as the No. 53 sexiest woman in the world by magazine FHM, Cohrs has recently risen to prominence in the hard-hitting world of mixed martial arts as both a host and an ambassador for the sport.
A longtime fight fan, Cohrs originally wanted to get involved in the MMA industry as an Octagon girl for the UFC.
A strategic campaign on Twitter, instead, landed her a gig as a host for the now-defunct Fight Day Live on Heavy.com.
Since then, her career has skyrocketed and Ms. Cohrs is now on the fast track to becoming one of the most recognizable women in the MMA community.
This is her story.
“It all started with me wanting to be affiliated with the UFC,” Cohrs told Bleacher Report.
“So I just kind of went on an absolute barrage on Twitter and pretty much bombarded Dana White with tweets. Eventually I got noticed and everything MMA-wise just spiraled from there. It’s a tight circle so once people started noticing me, it created a snowball effect. Now I’m on a really big snowball.”
Indeed she is.
Cohrs was recently featured as a presenter on the 2013 World MMA Awards alongside UFC Hall of Famer Royce Gracie. The pair presented UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey with her award for Female Fighter of the Year.
She is also currently working on several different projects for UFC.com in Australia that are bound to light the MMA world on fire over in the Land Down Under.
Australia is quickly becoming a hotbed for dynamic MMA prospects. With an influx of new talent from the TUF Nations show, the UFC has more Aussies on the roster than ever before. Cohrs believes this is simply the beginning of the takeover.
“Right now, MMA is really starting to blow up in Australia. Everyone is UFC-crazy and women are getting more into it as well. There is more of an awareness about the sport now and I’m confident that things are really going to kick off for us very soon,” Cohrs said.
“George Sotiropoulos was kind of like, the original Aussie fighter that I took notice of in the UFC. He was the guy that I always used to cheer for back when there was really nobody else [from Australia] to cheer for. We didn’t really have many Aussies in the UFC back then but now we’ve got a bunch. It’s definitely blowing up at a quick rate.”
We are only three months into 2014 and already this has been the year of Allira Cohrs. She is making moves and taking names both as a sexy fitness model and an articulated MMA host.
Ms. Cohrs has no plans of slowing down either. Whether it’s becoming a UFC Octagon girl or a broadcaster for a major sports media outlet, Cohrs is relentlessly chasing excellence. She will get it.
“Right now, I honestly don’t know if I want to push myself more in one area over the other. I really do enjoy broadcasting though and plan on having a career in that field for sure,” Cohrs said.
“Whether it’s for the UFC, ESPN, FOX Sports 1 or wherever: I am determined to make it happen. That’s what I’m going after this year and I always get what I set after for.”
It’s that passion and drive that separates Allira Cohrs from the rest of the pack. Other models and broadcasters might be content on waiting for good things to happen to them. Cohrs doesn’t wait; she kicks the door of its hinges and makes it happen.
“I always write all of my goals down on a massive whiteboard and it’s really cool when I get to take it off. Being a broadcaster and a voice for MMA is definitely on my radar this year,” Cohrs said.
“I never take no for an answer. I kick down doors until I get what I want.”
Mitch Ciccarelli is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report and co-host of Alchemist Radio. He is also a United States Airman. Follow him on Twitter @MitchCiccarelli.
MMA history will be made on Saturday night as, for the first time ever, two undefeated Olympians will clash inside the Octagon for a UFC championship.
UFC Women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey will put her title on the line against silver-me…
MMA history will be made on Saturday night as, for the first time ever, two undefeated Olympians will clash inside the Octagon for a UFC championship.
UFC Women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey will put her title on the line against silver-medal wrestler Sara McMann in the main event of UFC 170.
In 2008, Rousey became the first American woman to medal in the Olympics, winning a bronze medal at the Summer Olympics in Beijing. Since transitioning into MMA, Rousey has thoroughly dominated every competitor thrown her way with eight consecutive armbar victories.
But she’s never fought anyone like McMann. In 2004, McMann became the first American woman to win a silver medal in freestyle wrestling at the Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece. Like Rousey, she has gone undefeated since making the move to MMA, and she’s hungry to pull off the upset.
RedHotVegas.com’sRoni Taylor is back to help me break down this card. This time, Ms. Taylor and I are going head-to-head with our predictions. Let’s see who comes out on top!
UFC Women’s Bantamweight Championship: Ronda Rousey vs. Sara McMann
Ciccarelli: UFC President Dana White has been very vocal in his claims that Ronda Rousey is the “biggest PPV draw in the history of the UFC.” As popular as Ronda is, that is an absurd statement to make without the numbers to back it up.
The UFC is also claiming in pre-fight video packages that Rousey is the “first woman to medal in the Olympics for Judo.” That is not true either. She was the first American to medal but far from being the first woman overall.
Do you feel like the UFC is going way over the top in its promotion of the UFC women’s bantamweight champion?
Taylor: Let’s not forget what Dana White’s primary job is for the UFC: fight promotion. He is the P.T. Barnum of the 21st century, and while we may not agree with all that he says, he certainly is good at what he does. I, for one, happen to enjoy the hype that Dana whips into his media scrums and interviews.
I tend to only believe about 70 percent of what flies out of Dana’s mouth, so that way my head doesn’t explode when he spouts off something ridiculous. As far as the UFC promoting this upcoming fight, I am super happy that the women are getting the attention they deserve.
As a martial arts practitioner (a lowly white belt in BJJ), it brings me great pride to see female MMA fighters not only performing on the biggest stage in the world, but also getting top billing.
Ciccarelli: I wrote in the beginning of the year that McMann is Rousey‘s worst nightmare, and I’m sticking to that. As talented as Rousey is, I think she’s going to be walking right into her kryptonite here with McMann. Maybe you feel differently, though: What’s your take on the main event?
Taylor: While it is a true battle of the Olympians, I honestly don’t think this is going to be a fair fight. Wrestling and judo may both be grappling arts, but their differences outweigh their similarities. I don’t know if you noticed what happened when Miesha Tate tried to use her wrestling to take down Rousey in her last fight. It wasn’t pretty.
For the advanced MMA fan it was quite a display of judo beauty with a whole slew of throws like the harai goshi and uchimata. I even think I saw a “Judo Chop!” (said in my best Austin Powers voice) in there somewhere. I see this fight going down very much like the Tate fight, with Ronda getting the better of the takedown battle, time and time again.
Rousey’s striking has continued to improve, and that added weapon really allows her to pick and choose her openings. I think McMann is going to get frustrated and try to rush in on Ronda. The end result will be an inside leg throw with Ronda landing on top in side control and of course….drum roll please…finishing with her trademarked armbar.
Taylor’s pick: Rousey by second-round submission (armbar)
Ciccarelli’s pick: McMann by unanimous decision
Daniel Cormier vs. Pat Cummins
Ciccarelli: In the co-main event, we have a bit of a Rocky story brewing here between another former Olympian in Daniel Cormier and UFC newcomer Pat Cummins. Cormier was originally slated to take on Rashad Evans in his debut at 205 pounds, but when Evans pulled out with an injury, the UFC called Cummins up from a coffee shop in Orange County. Literally.
Apparently, Cummins used to train with Cormier back in the day when “D.C.” was training for the Olympics. He’s been going around telling people that he used to make Cormier “cry” on the mats, and that isn’t sitting well with Cormier at all.
Cummins is 4-0 in his MMA career, all finishes thus far but do you really think he’s as good as he claims to be or will Cormier cut through him like a knife through butter?
Taylor: I only recently watched a couple of Pat Cummins’ fights, and honestly, I was underwhelmed with his wrestling. I know he has a NCAA Division I pedigree to die for, but I truly think he will be outwrestled by Daniel Cormier and most certainly outstruck by him as well.
Cormier has already battled a who’s who of top names in the MMA world, and I think Cummins will crumble under DC’s fast, aggressive pressure. This fight will be a first-round TKO domination by the former Strikeforce Grand-Prix champ.
Ciccarelli: Up next, in the welterweight division, we have Tristar phenom Rory MacDonald going up against jiu-jitsu ace Demian Maia. MacDonald dropped a decision to Robbie Lawler back at UFC 167, but he’s still considered a future champion by many of the sport’s top analysts.
Maia’s run toward a welterweight title shot was temporarily halted in his last fight with Jake Shields, but a win over MacDonald could bump the Brazilian right back where he was. How do you see this one playing out?
Taylor: This is a tough one for me. I really like the poise and well-rounded game that Rory brings to the Octagon, but Demian Maia has been on a tear at welterweight. Both men are coming off of split-decision losses and will be hungry to get back in the win column.
While his striking has improved markedly over the past few years, I don’t think Demian will be able to use it well enough to stifle Rory’s outside striking capabilities. I think Rory will use his crisp kick boxing to pick apart the jiu-jitsu specialist long enough to earn a decision victory.
Sadly, this one will probably end up being a boring battle of two guys trying to not lose two in a row.
Taylor’s pick: MacDonald by unanimous decision
Ciccarelli’s pick: MacDonald by unanimous decision
Mike Pyle vs. TJ Waldburger
Ciccarelli: Speaking of welterweights, we have two more 170-pounders squaring off here who are coming off losses. Mike Pyle was riding an impressive four-fight win streak before Matt Brown made quick work of him at UFC Fight Night 26.
Pyle will be looking to get back in the win column against TJ Waldburger on the live pay-per-view portion of the card. Do you see “Quicksand” getting back on track or will Waldburger surprise us?
Taylor: I’m excited to watch my fellow Las Vegas resident, Mike Pyle, smash out another W on his record. Mike has only lost two of his last nine fights. I know he has been diligently working on his stand-up game to go along with his amazing grappling.
While TJ is no slouch in the grappling department, I give the edge to Pyle if it hits the ground. I don’t think it will make it that far, though. I see Mike Pyle pushing himself into the UFC’s top 10 welterweights with a first-round TKO.
Taylor’s pick: Pyle by first-round TKO
Ciccarelli’s pick: Pyle by first-round submission (guillotine choke)
Stephen Thompson vs. Robert Whittaker
Ciccarelli: South Carolina native Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson will be making his PPV debut against TUF:The Smashes winner, Robert Whittaker. “Wonderboy” is riding a two-fight win streak and has a lot of hype surrounding him. What’s your prediction here?
Taylor: Ever since I first heard about “Wonderboy,” I have been excited to see him live up to the accolades he was paid by a lot of the top guys in the MMA world. There is no doubt he is an elite striker, but when it comes to grappling, Matt Brown found him out real quickly back at UFC 145.
Whittaker doesn’t bring anything special as far as striking is concerned into this fight, so as long as Wonderboy has continued to hone his takedown defense, it’s going to be a rough night for Whittaker.
I’d love to see Thompson open up with some of his flashy kicking and give us all something to cheer about with a huge KO in the first round.
Taylor’s pick: Thompson by first-round TKO
Ciccarelli’s pick: Thompson by unanimous decision
Alexis Davis vs. Jessica Eye
Ciccarelli: While not technically on the PPV main card, I still wanted to talk about the other women’s matchup on the card. Alexis Davis has been on fire, long before she made her debut in the UFC. The Cesar Gracie product is riding a four-fight win streak, including submission wins over HitomiAkano and Shayna Baszler.
Eye has been under a lot of criticism lately, but I’m not here to harp on that. She is an extremely talented fighter despite being one of the smaller women in her division. Her decision victory over former Strikeforce champion Sarah Kaufman at UFC 166 was changed to a no-contest, but a win over Davis will catapult her way up the rankings.
How do you see this fight playing out?
Taylor: This is another great women’s fight that will be a classic matchup. Eye likes to throw the jab out there and asserts herself with her striking skills, while Davis likes to bully people around in the clinch game.
Unless the fighter is a world-class striker, I tend to go with the better grappler, and in this matchup, I’m picking Davis to win by TKO in the third. I think she is going to close the distance, push Eye up against the cage and wear her down, finally getting the ref to stop the fight with some nasty ground-and-pound.
Mitch Ciccarelli is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report and co-host of Alchemist Radio. He is also a United States Airman. Follow him on Twitter @MitchCiccarelli.
When it comes to mixing annual MMA achievements with mainstream pop culture, nobody does it better than Fighters Only.
For the past six years, the UK-based MMA publication has kicked down doors and shaken up the industry with its year-end extravaganza,…
When it comes to mixing annual MMA achievements with mainstream pop culture, nobody does it better than Fighters Only.
For the past six years, the UK-based MMA publication has kicked down doors and shaken up the industry with its year-end extravaganza, known as the World MMA Awards.
The event, which highlights the achievements of the sport’s top performers, draws a massive audience of celebrities from both inside and outside of the MMA universe.
It’s like the ESPYS, the Grammy’s and the Teen Choice Awards, all tied together in one tremendously exciting presentation.
Earlier this month, Fighters Only hosted its sixth annual event and completely tore the roof off of the Venetian Theatre in Las Vegas, Nevada.
From the red carpet gala at the start of the night to the overall presentation of the awards and videos, the show was a huge success.
Stars that you ordinarily wouldn’t associate with MMA—such as Gene Simmons and Terrell Owens, helped make it special. However, they weren’t the only ones that stole the show.
UFC reporter Megan Olivi has a way of lighting up any room by just simply walking in with a microphone and smiling. This woman is a trailblazer. She’s passionate about what she does and it shows through her video interviews and segments. Some people say they are living the dream, Olivi actually is.
Emily Miller is one of MMA’s most influential women. As a former ring-card girl for the now defunct IFL and current ring girl for the World Series of Fighting, Miller has been involved in the industry for years. She eats, sleeps and breathes MMA and has a very loyal following because of it.
Australian bombshell AlliraCohrs has taken the fight world by storm with her exquisite curves and vast knowledge on the sport. A former host for Heavy MMA’s Fight Day, Cohrs has been hustling and bustling like no other. She is on the fast track to becoming a major superstar and has no plans of slowing down yet.
These three attractive but powerful women were all part of the show in one way, shape or form. Each of them had a hand in the flow of the event and helped make it, without question, a night to remember.
Miller, who escorted all of the night’s winners onto the stage and presented them with their awards, was beyond thrilled with the way the night went.
“I was talking to a lot of my girlfriends that attended the event and from talking to them and also feeling the vibe backstage, I honestly feel like this was our best one yet,” Miller told Bleacher Report.
“With all the celebrities that attended: big names like Gene Simmons, Mario Lopez and Terrell Owens, it was huge. All in all, our video presentation was on point. I just think it was our best year yet.”
Miller is no stranger to the spotlight, but the massive buzz that the event produces can definitely be a little nerve-racking at first. She felt it firsthand.
“I actually was a little bit nervous. I went through a run through the night before but it was a little daunting at first,” Miller said.
“I had six inch heels on and being up there on stage, not knowing who’s in the crowd did make me a bit nervous but once I walked out there all of the butterflies were gone.”
While the primary focus of the event is to honor and recognize the nominees and award winners, The World MMA Awards has also become a hotbed for pumping out some of the most hilarious comedy bits involving fighters and coaches.
This year, comedian Adam Hunter wrote and produced memorable skits involving Wanderlei Silva, Mark Munoz and others. His “What does the Wand say?” video has already gone viral on YouTube with over 91,000 hits.
For someone who works as hard as Olivi, sometimes it can be tough to sit back and enjoy the show. This time, she got to be a part of the on-stage presentation as well as watching from the audience. She had a great time but what stood out to her the most was seeing the fighters kick back and have fun.
In her eyes, that is what truly made the event a success across the board.
“This was my first time ever sitting in the audience so that was definitely a different experience,” Olivi told Bleacher Report.
“I got to see all the skits by MMA Roasted’s Adam Hunter and I thought they were incredibly well-written and hilarious. The big thing to me was that the fighters really enjoyed themselves. We got to see them in different elements and I just really loved being a part of it.”
Alongside Kenny Florian, Olivi announced UFC President Dana White as the Leading Man of the Year. A category that White has dominated by a landslide, every single year.
As part of the UFC family, Olivi was very grateful for the opportunity to honor her boss.
“Dana White is amazing. There’s nobody else more deserving than him. He works really hard and it’s such an honor to be able to work for him and be part of the UFC team,” Olivi said.
“It was an honor to present the award to my boss because I really appreciate everything he does for me personally so it was cool to share that with the whole group and say ‘and the winner is Dana White’. I thought it was very well deserved.”
Coming in from Australia, this was Cohrs’ first time attending the MMA Awards. The voluptuous brunette was on stage with UFC hall of famer, Royce Gracie to present UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey with her award for Female Fighter of the Year.
When she learned she would be presenting with Gracie, Cohrs looked behind her for Ashton Kutcher because she thought she was being punk’d.
“When they sent me my script and told me I was going to be working with Royce, I thought surely that had to be a mistake. I couldn’t believe that I was actually working with Royce Gracie,” Cohrs told Bleacher Report.
“It was very surreal to be honest. It just happened so quickly and before I knew it, the night was over and I didn’t want it to end.”
All three women felt that the voters did an excellent job in determining this year’s winners. They particularly thought that Brittney Palmer winning Ring Girl of the Year for the second consecutive year was well deserved.
Palmer has essentially taken over the throne from fellow UFC Octagon girl Arianny Celeste. Celeste dominated the category for the first four years without much competition but Palmer has rapidly taken over as the fan’s choice.
“I’ve noticed that, [Brittney surpassing Arianny] from the last couple of years,” Miller said.
“Not to discredit Arianny in any way because I absolutely love her but Brittney has come a long way. She’s rocking it.”
It’s not a competition between the two by any means but it is interesting to see a changing of the guard, so to speak, between the two Octagon girls.
“Brittney and Arianny are really good friends and I think it’s just what the fans are feeling right now at this particular time,” Olivi said.
“They are both incredibly beautiful and talented girls so it’s just fun to see what the fans are thinking that year. I don’t think it’s a competition or anything between them because they are very close and they are both amazing.”
Celeste is still one of the most beloved women in the UFC, but sometimes you’ve got to change things up to keep it interesting.
“Change is good. Not that I think people are tired of seeing Arianny but they want to see Brittney hold the crown for a little bit,” Cohrs said.
“They want to keep it fresh. Nobody wants to see the same person win every year, you have to keep things spontaneous and exciting.”
Despite the overwhelming popularity of the event, there are some fans who feel that they should rename the show to the World UFC Awards instead. After all, over 90 percent of the winners each year are part of the ZUFFA-owned organization.
However, Olivi and Miller both disagree.
Yes, the UFC won most of the awards but if you look at the nominees you will see a wide variety of different brands from all over the world.
“I think this one was different because, normally it’s very UFC-heavy but I think there was a lot of representation from different organizations this year,” Olivi said.
“Not just with all the nominees but there were also a ton of fighters from other organizations on stage this year as well.”
As a WSOF ring girl, Miller pointed out her team and was proud to see them in the house.
“World Series of Fighting was represented very well. We had Josh Burkman up there presenting an award. We had three of our ring girls there in attendance,” Miller said.
“It was also great to have our president Ray Sefo, one of our fighters Nick Newell and our ring girl Kat Kelley nominated for awards as well. I was very happy to see my WSOF family rocking it. Like I said, this was our best one yet and I am already looking forward to next year’s show.”
Mitch Ciccarelli is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report and co-host of Alchemist Radio. He is also a United States Airman. Follow him on Twitter @MitchCiccarelli.
The UFC’s middleweight division has never been more compelling than it is now. Chris Weidman taking over the throne from longtime champion Anderson Silva has brought forth new light to a division that was previously dominated by one extraordinary…
The UFC’s middleweight division has never been more compelling than it is now. Chris Weidman taking over the throne from longtime champion Anderson Silva has brought forth new light to a division that was previously dominated by one extraordinary man.
At UFC 173, Weidman will square off with Vitor Belfort in the New Yorker’s first “post-Silva” title defense, but the next contender could be decided Saturday night at UFC Fight Night 36 in Brazil.
Former light heavyweight champ Lyoto Machida is all but guaranteed the next title shot if he can get past Gegard Mousasi in the main event.
However, former Strikeforce champion Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza could steal it from the karate specialist in the night’s co-main event if he is victorious. Souza will meet Tristar product Francis Carmont, and it would be tough to deny the Brazilian if he puts the GSP-pupil away.
To help me break down this card, I’ve brought back RedHotVegas.com’s Roni Taylor.
Ciccarelli: Since Chris Weidman dethroned Anderson Silva, the middleweight division has—essentially—been cracked wide open. Weidman will defend his crown against Vitor Belfort at UFC 173 in May in his first post-Silva title defense.
In the meantime, the next No. 1 contender could be crowned this Saturday night in Brazil.
In the main event, No. 4-ranked Lyoto Machida will fight former DREAM and Strikeforce champion Gegard Mousasi, and in the co-main event, No. 3-ranked Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza will meet No. 8-ranked Francis Carmont. In your opinion, who do you feel would be most deserving of a title shot, between those four, with a victory on Saturday night?
Taylor: That’s an easy one for me: Gegard Mousasi. I feel that he is one of, if not the most underrated fighter in all of the UFC today. Mousasi is as decorated a fighter as they come as both a former Dream middleweight and light heavyweight champion and also a former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion.
I mean, have you taken a look at his record? This guy has hammered out 29 of his 34 wins with a finish. Gegard isn’t a man who goes into a fight looking to not lose.
Every fight Mousasi engages in, he brings his deadly Dutch-based kickboxing skills into the cage looking to add to his 18 wins by KO. I personally would love to see him face off with Chris Weidman for the belt.
MC: Besides Weidman, the middleweight division has also seen a breath of fresh air with the emergence of former light heavyweight champion Machida. “The Dragon” made it look easy with his destruction of Mark Munoz this past October in his debut at 185 pounds.
Many analysts are looking at Machida as potentially Weidman’s biggest threat, but he has to get past Mousasi first. How do you see this fight playing out? Do you see Machida scoring another highlight-reel finish on his road to the title, or will we see an upset here?
RT: Look, no disrespect to Mark Munoz, but I don’t think beating him is any indication of Machida’s ability to dethrone Weidman. Lyoto hasn’t exactly been stellar over his last eight fights, dropping half of them with a loss on his record.
While he does offer up a unique challenge for anyone who can’t figure out how to get inside of his karate striking stance, I don’t think Machida has faced a skilled kickboxer like Mousasi so far in his career. Mousasi pulls the upset by out striking the karate kid and notches another TKO on his way to a title fight in 2014.
MC: That’s a bold prediction right there. I think you may be the first person I’ve seen that’s picking Mousasi in this fight. If you’re right and Machida does lose, the next title shot could go to Jacare Souza if he gets by Carmont. Souza has looked like a man possessed ever since coming over to the UFC from Strikeforce.
We already knew that he was an assassin on the ground, but after knocking out Yushin Okami in September, we can see that he has some grenades in his hands as well. Carmont won’t be an easy fight for him, though. The Tristar product is 6-0 in the Octagon and hungry to break the glass ceiling. Who takes the co-main event?
RT: This is a tough one. Yes, Jacare has been very impressive as of late, but Carmont is a dark horse for sure. Keep in mind that 6-0 is only in the UFC, with an actual total of 11 straight wins.
Carmont has the size and reach advantage, and if he can keep Souza at a distance and pick him apart with a stiff jab, I think Francis has a good chance of winning a decision. If, on the other hand, Carmont can’t manage to stay off the ground, the alligator might just take another victim.
MC: Regardless of how the fights play out, out of the four middleweights in the two main events, who do you feel would have the best chance of stopping the new middleweight champion? Obviously we can’t look past Belfort, but assuming Weidman beats him, do you think one of these fighters could do any better?
RT: No need to think about this one: Mousasi. His incredible striking coupled with his high-level judo skills pose a nasty combination for anyone, including the current champion, Weidman. I’ll say it again, I really think Gegard is underrated, and he is going to prove as much when he steps into the Octagon on Saturday.
MC: Besides the two main events, does anything else stand out to you about this card? There’s not a whole lot of big names, but there are a few notables. Guys like Erick Silva, Charles Oliveira, Iuri Alcantara and Maximo Blanco are always fun to watch. Which undercard fight are you most looking forward to?
RT: To tell you the truth, I am not too knowledgeable about a lot of the guys on the card, with the focus obviously being on Brazilians. I definitely need to do my research and get to know these amazing fighters a little better so I can speak to them.
Of the ones that I do know, I am most looking forward to Erick Silva fighting again. He is the biggest betting favorite on the whole card and a super-exciting fighter to watch. I don’t see this one making it out of the first round. I suppose the only thing we don’t know is whether Erick wins by submission or KO in the first.
Mitch Ciccarelli is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report and co-host of Alchemist Radio. He is also a United States Airman. Follow him on Twitter @MitchCiccarelli.
It’s hard to picture the welterweight division without Georges St-Pierre at the top of the throne, but we have to get used to it. A new king will be crowned on Saturday night.